If you know it or not, you're taking your customers on a journey. It's your job as the business owner to make it the best journey it can be. This is how.
Both free. Marketing will never be easy, but we can definitely make it easier.
It's a loop, not a line. Fans come back, and they send new people in.
Why it works
The tools and tactics have, but the way people buy hasn't. Nobody hands money over to a stranger. People find out you exist, they get to know, like and trust you, and then they buy.
It's how any relationship works: one small step at a time, and if you try to skip one you're going to struggle. (Try proposing on a first date and see how you get on.)
Strategy always comes before tactics. Posting on Instagram or running ads aren't a strategy. They're tactics, and tactics come and go (remember the Yellow Pages?). The journey is the strategy. It's the picture on the jigsaw box.
The six stages
1Are the right people finding you?
It's impossible for people to buy from you if they don't know you exist. But the job isn't getting seen by everyone. It's getting seen by the right people, in the places they already are.
They're wondering"Who are these, and can they help with my problem?"
You want them to think"These look like they do what I need."
2Can you reach them directly?
If someone sees your stuff and then vanishes, what have you actually got? Get their details, so you can follow up on your terms, not the algorithm's. Followers aren't yours. An email address is.
They're wondering"Why would I give them my details?"
You want them to think"That was useful, and it cost me nothing."
3Are you proving you can help?
Someone giving you their email doesn't mean they trust you. Turn up, help, and prove you know your stuff before you ask for anything. It's one of the two most skipped stages.
They're wondering"Can these really help me?"
You want them to think"These know their stuff."
4Is it easy to say yes?
If the first three stages are done properly, this doesn't feel like a hard sell. When it leaks, it's rarely the offer. It's the quotes that never got chased. Silence isn't a no.
They're wondering"Am I ready to do this?"
You want them to think"That was easy. I know what happens next."
5Did you do more than they expected?
Doing the job well is the baseline. Wow is the bit that gets them talking about you, and it's usually small, cheap and personal. It's where referrals are actually made.
They're wondering"Did I make the right call?"
You want them to think"I made the right call. They didn't have to do that."
6Are they telling others about you?
Happy customers would gladly tell people about you... if you asked. "We rely on word of mouth" usually means nobody's asking for it. It's the other most skipped stage.
They're wondering"Would I put my name to these?"
You want them to think"I trust these enough to tell people about them."
Show up where your people are, give them a reason to connect, earn their trust by being genuinely helpful, make it easy to buy, do more than they expected, then ask them to tell the world. In that order.
Spot the pattern
Almost every business I look at is at least one of these. Each one is a stage that's been skipped.
Posting on social (1) and selling from the post (4)
Missing: Connect and Build Trust
"Social media doesn't work for us"
Collecting emails (2) and never emailing
Missing: Build Trust
"Email marketing doesn't work"
Great work (5) but never asking for reviews
Missing: Create Fans
"We rely on word of mouth"
Ads (1) going to a page with no way to get in touch
Missing: Connect
"Ads just burn money"
Quotes going out (4) with no follow-up
Missing: Make the Sale
"People just ghost you"
A new website with a form that doesn't work
Missing: Connect
Nothing. That's the problem.
How it fits together
Create Fans works in the background the whole time. It's how you treat everyone who's already said yes.
The three rules
Every stage earns the right to the next.
Skip one and it starts to creak.
Don't pay to get noticed until there's something to catch people.
More people finding you is pointless if there's nowhere for them to go.
One thing per stage.
Do one thing properly before adding anything else.
Put it to work
The whole framework in plain English, with a page for each stage.
Answer 18 simple questions and see where your journey stands.
Who's behind it
I help service businesses and coaches make their marketing easier, and I've been doing it since 2009. The Perfect Customer Journey is how I build everything, for my clients and for my own business.
